


When Two Worlds Collide

by NonchalantPenguin



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Angst with a Happy Ending, Badass Annabeth, Blue Cookies (Percy Jackson), Confused Percy, Dare, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, Fluff, King Percy, Light Angst, Poverty, Pranks, Royals, Servant Annabeth, Slow Burn, architecture, kingdom - Freeform, knife, percabeth
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-02
Updated: 2021-01-02
Packaged: 2021-03-11 03:47:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,579
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28498533
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NonchalantPenguin/pseuds/NonchalantPenguin
Summary: Annabeth liked to plan her death, but she didn't necessarily want to die. It was more of an escape from her sad reality. Working herself to the limit to pay off her drug-addict mom's bills was not her ideal life. The real world was a cruel place, she learned, especially when she witnessed her father and best friend die at the hands of the Royals. People are out to get you, and RULES ARE MEANT TO BE BROKEN.Percy was King of the Poseidon Kingdom, so his life was taken over by royal duties. The top priority was always the Kingdom. But, it wasn't his decision to be King, and sometimes he yearned to have a normal life. Where he wasn't pressured to marry a rich girl, attend meetings, give speeches. He wanted to explore the world, and live his life to the fullest. Then again, he was used to being treated with utmost respect. Would he have a better life as just a regular commoner? Or was he wasting his life PLAYING BY THE RULES?When a dare sets their paths to align, sparks fly. The question is: was it Percy's feelings, or had Annabeth set fireworks in the Palace?
Relationships: Annabeth Chase/Percy Jackson, Athena/Frederick Chase, Poseidon/Sally
Kudos: 5





	When Two Worlds Collide

Annabeth POV

Look, I didn’t say I wanted to die. 

I just enjoyed planning my death, okay?

If your life was a mess and you risked it everyday, wouldn’t you at least _think_ about ending it? I just wanted peace, for once. 

Planning my death made me feel like I was conquering it, in some twisted way. Many people live in fear of death and push the thought out of their minds. But me? I thought about it everyday, with every breath I took. 

I organized the papers and snapped them back into the binder spine. One section for gruesome deaths, one for quick deaths, and so on.

After looking through it one last time, I placed it back on the shelf in the dusty corner where nobody checked. Not that anyone would since it was just my mom and I, and I knew there was a higher chance of her coming home sober than her finding my death binder. And that was slim to none. Let’s just say… she’s an alcoholic. 

But it was more than just that, unfortunately. She’d been, in her words, “exploring”, basically trying new ways to numb her pain. I guess alcohol wasn’t making the cut, so she’d turned to drugs to seal the cracks in her soul. I balled my fists just thinking about it. I could see why she was doing it, and as much as I despised it, sometimes I wanted to too, but that’s no excuse to be weak. She blamed it on the past, but any strong person wouldn’t make reckless decisions like that. I felt the same pain she did, but at least I had the sense to conceal it instead of being senseless. 

We’re two broken souls, and that’s the most we have in common.

More importantly, the bills were hella high, maybe even higher than she was. It wasn’t my fault that she couldn't hold a stable job, and it shouldn’t have been my responsibility to pay the bills. Yet here I was, with more jobs than I could handle, and so integrated into the black market that even the best lawyer couldn’t get me out if I got caught, not that I had the money. All thanks to my alcohol loving, drug using mother. 

Now, if you haven’t figured it out already, I want to make things clear: I don’t give a flying _fuck_ about her.

If I wasn’t a minor, and still under her responsibility, I’d be out the door before you could say ‘suicide.’ Some days, I surprise myself by not reaching down to grab the dagger out of my boot. Life is so delicate, especially when it’s on the verge of breaking.

 _Stay strong,_ I told myself, _just get through today._ The only thing that was keeping me sane is my guaranteed freedom when I turn 18. Each day was harder than the next as my freedom taunted me, and some days I wondered if it was better just to end this damn game. But another part of me wanted to have a chance at a life, a _real_ life where I’d fight my way to the job I dreamt of as a kid, an architect.

Today was a good day which was rare, though, because it was that one time of the year when I could visit Thalia.

I lived in the Zeus Kingdom, but it hadn't always been that way…

*flashback*

“Luke, wait up!” a little girl called. She looked about seven years-old. She had curly blonde hair tied into a messy ponytail with a piece of string. Her clothes were tattered, but she looked happy.

“Hurry up, Annabeth,” the boy she was calling to, Luke, said. He looked about 9, but mature for his age with a scar that dragged down from his left eye.

She huffed, “I’m not as fast as you.”

Another girl appeared. She was pale with black hair and looked to be about 8. “Soon you will be, Annie.”

“Thalia, don’t call me Annie!” the little girl said. 

The others laughed. 

“So, what are we doing today?” Thalia asked. 

“We are going to rob a few street market stands and then try to break into the palace,” Luke replied.

Annabeth looked at Luke in awe. “Y-you mean where King Poseidon lives?”

“Yep,” replied Thalia, and Luke just smirked. 

“Come on guys, let’s go,” Luke sprinted off into the distance. Thalia followed, but Annabeth struggled to keep up. 

“I’m hungry,” Annabeth complained. 

“Okay, stay right here. We’ll get some food,” said Thalia. Annabeth knew they were going to go steal from the market carts, it was normal to her. They were poor, it was the way that the kids fed themselves. It was more fun to steal and play around than to work in the fields like their parents. 

Luke and Thalia came back one after the other. Thalia kept looking around. “I swear, I almost got caught this time. We better get on the move before they come after us.”

“Okay,” said Annabeth, munching on an apple. 

As they were making their way through the forest, Luke and Thalia kept talking about their plan to break into the palace. 

“Why do we want to break into the palace?” she wondered out loud. 

“It’s not ‘breaking in,’” explained Thalia with a knowing smile. 

“We just want to take a peek,” finished Luke. 

Annabeth was skeptical. 

“I heard the architecture there is the best of all the Kingdoms,” Thalia sing-songed. 

Annabeth immediately perked up. “Really?!”

Luke smiled, wrapping an arm around her small frame. “Yep.”

“Plus, we're not going to steal anything, Annie,” Thalia began. 

“Well…” Luke intervened.

Thalia shot him a glare. “Annabeth, I want to make one thing clear,” she took Annabeth’s hands. “We only steal because we have to. The world is a cruel place with lots of bad people, but _we_ aren’t bad people, right?” Annabeth nodded, so Thalia continued. “We are just in a bad situation. Poor people like us have to fight to survive. It’s just the way things are.”

“Okay,” replied Annabeth quietly. And after thinking a little bit, she said, “I wish we weren’t poor. I wonder what it's like to be rich…”

Luke perked up. “And that, my dear Annabeth, is another reason why we’re going to the palace. We’re _all_ curious.”

*End of flashback*

That day went downhill from there. We got caught, and Luke was thrown in jail. My dad tried to get him out. He was like a father to Luke and Luke was like my brother, but the royal guards were cold-hearted. No matter what we tried, the royals wouldn’t let him go. 

In the end, Thalia, my mom, and I had to resort to violence. It was the only way we were going to be heard. 

That was the biggest mistake of our lives. 

The royals retaliated by executing Luke in front of all of us… and then my dad too. My mom and I were banished from the Poseidon Kingdom while Thalia had to stay there. It was the worst day of my life, but it was only the beginning. 

A tear escaped my eye, and I quickly wiped it away. I haven’t thought about them in ages. A burning pit formed in my stomach and I clenched my jaw. The royals could go to hell for all I care. They didn’t care about us people in poverty and exerted their powers for amusement. Absolutely disgusting. If I _ever_ found a way into the Poseidon Palace, I would tear it down with my bare hands, brick by brick, and spill.

Though I was banished, I got to visit one time every year for a couple weeks. I always looked forward to the day I got to leave my shitty home and shitty jobs behind and for _once_ not care about the drug bills. 

Today was that day. Mom was still out doing gods know what, probably spending money she didn’t have and getting higher than the clouds. No doubt, I’d have to work double shifts to pay the bills this month. I sighed deeply and looked up at the ceiling with one question: _Why me?_ _What did I do to deserve this life?_

After quickly throwing some clothes into a bag, I headed out the door. 

The cool breeze brushed my face, and I couldn’t suppress a small smile. I was free, sure, only for a couple weeks, but I was out of that hellhole. Plus, I’d get to see my best friend and have some fun for once. 

On my way to the border, I saw kids playing on the streets. It reminded me of my childhood where there wasn’t any technology, not that we could afford it, and we just played in the streets with whoever was around. Now, all the rich kids had phones and the social-economic gap widened a tenfold. I struggled to pay my phone bills every month, but my job required me to have one, so that’s the only reason I have it. 

Life these days is too modern, too artificial, too fake. The only thing that remains from the past is the corrupt monarchy. I swear, if I get a chance to see King Poseidon, I’ll shove my dagger down his throat. 

* * *

After walking for 20 minutes, I exited the poor neighborhoods and entered the city. Even though it was 10pm, the city was still bustling. I felt a little out of place with my torn up rags for clothes, but I didn’t give a shit. One thing I learned over my years of stealing and getting into street fights was that shit-giving was just a waste of time and energy. 

A man catcalled me from a nearby bench. I gave him my signature death glare before continuing on my way. He looked scared for a second, but then quickly bounced back. 

His footsteps approached behind me and then I felt his hand on my shoulder. 

“Hey, sweetie. Wanna come over to my place tonight?” I should’ve felt scared, but this was all too normal for me. I whipped around and punched him in the jaw. My fist hurt, but I’ve felt worse. 

“Ooo, I do love me a feisty girl,” he chuckled. I charged at him and drove my knee into his balls. He hollered out in pain, but I only had enough time to see him doubling over before I was on my way once more. I’m pretty sure he threw up too because I heard gagging afterward. 

I won’t lie, I loved fighting. As much as people like him annoyed me, I grew up using my fists and feet. It felt good to take someone down. _Jeez, that sounds demented,_ but I blamed my twisted childhood for it, which meant I blamed King Poseidon because he and the Royals never once helped the oppressed. 

When I finally made it to the border, it was 11pm. I was tired from a full day of work, not to mention some ‘hold-ups’ I encountered along the way. 

“Passport, miss,” the security guard asked. I hand him my passport. 

It took freaking 30 minutes for them to do a security check on me. I’m not talking about waiting in line and stuff, the actual check itself. It was because I was banished, so they had to do a ‘thorough check’ on me, whatever the hell that’s supposed to mean. Plus, it wasn’t even thorough enough to catch my dagger which I always keep in my right boot, so _you_ tell _me_ about ‘tight security’. 

I walked through the city in the Poseidon Kingdom on my way to Thalia’s house.

 _Why do I live like this?_ Sometimes I wondered how I was still alive. I worked close to 80 hours a week combining all my jobs. Every night when I got home, I’d crash. Occasionally, given I had the energy, I’d shove some food in my mouth, granted we had any. It was nowhere close to an ideal life. And the thing was, I _knew_ it wasn’t going to get better. My life wasn’t like I was working a 9-5 where pay was steady. Hell, no. 

I worked in the black market and in the underground associations where the pay was rocky and the law could choke you if you weren’t careful. 

“How would you like a nice trip to the Paradise Islands?” someone asked, pulling me out of my slightly-suicidal thoughts. It was one of those telemarketers trying to sell something. I saw he was looking right at me. So _freaking_ annoying.

“Umm.. excuse me? Can’t you see I’m poor?” I said, gesturing to my clothes. 

He struggled to keep a bright smile. 

“Well, we could offer you a discounted price if you-”

“Cut the crap, okay? Face it. You’re going to have better luck talking to someone who can actually afford it.” I walked past him, annoyed at the ignorance of supposedly ‘smart’ people. 

It was 12am when I arrived at Thalia’s house. Her house was nestled in the corner of the Kingdom on the border of the woods. I liked that it was secluded because people could be _such_ a drag sometimes. It was small and worn out, but cozy nonetheless. 

After doing my signature knock, Thalia opened the door. “Annie!” she screamed, wrapping her arms around me. Since each Kingdom used a different messaging platform, we couldn’t communicate, so she never knew the exact day I was arriving.

Once I freed myself from her deathly grip, I said, “Good to see you too, Thalia.”

“Come in. I bought some drinks for us,” she exclaimed. 

“Great. It’s been a long day.”

“I bet. Plus, don’t you have to work overtime at your jobs before you take a leave?”

I groaned. “You don’t even know. They made me work until I couldn’t keep my eyes open any longer.”

Thalia winced. “I feel your pain.” Then she perked up. “Maybe some alcohol will make you feel better.” 

My eyes lit up at the sound of a good drink. A small part of my brain, the little bit of moral sense I have left, told me _it would be hypocritical to drink after talking bad about it._ The other side of my brain, the majority that has been corrupt, yelled _fuck that._ I listened to the latter side. 

Alcohol is a funny thing, it tears you down from the inside out, slowly, yet it’s comforting to mute the stress and pain. _But still,_ I remind myself, _I’m stronger than Mom because I don’t have an addiction. It’s just one drink with Thalia. I deserve it._

“Alcohol sounds amazing,” I replied. 

She handed me a beer bottle and took a swig of her own. I sighed and flopped onto the couch. Waiting for the alcohol to kick in, I thought about my life, I thought about _before_. From the deaths, from the glorious past, from the awful present. I never realized that my childhood was good until after the banishment. Looking back, though we were poor, we were happy and carefree. Our parents worked hard, but things were alright. I didn’t have to grow up so fast, I could enjoy my life.

Realizing I’m doing no good, I popped up to a sitting position and chugged half the bottle. “So,” I started, “What’s new around here?”

Thalia leaned back and sprawled out on the couch. “Nothin’ much. Oh! King Poseidon stepped down.”

I nearly choked. “He what?!” I tried to act more nonchalant, but curiosity got the best of me. 

“He abdicated,” she replied with a shrug. 

“Wait…” I said, still trying to process the news. “Why? And who’s the king now?” 

“He has some illness,” she said with a wave. “The new King is his middle son, Percy, I think. Wait, why do you care so much anyways?”

I threw her a glare, knowing she was going to tease me about getting revenge on the Royals. I never forgave them, but Thalia got over it after a few years. She still wanted to play a few pranks, but purely for her own amusement. I, on the other hand, would pounce at any opportunity to see them in pain.

Thalia knew what I was thinking about and smirked. I rolled my eyes and waved her off. Pretending she never asked, I leaned in towards her on the couch, my elbows on my knees, and focused on the topic at hand. “Why wouldn’t he appoint Triton? Isn’t he the oldest son?” 

Thalia shrugged once more. “Dunno. I think there was some drama within the royal family and he thought that Percy would be better or something. That’s about all I know. You know I don’t follow the news too much, Annie.” I leaned back on the couch. 

She clearly enjoyed having me wrapped around her finger, but that was the least of my worries. This Royal Drama could be beneficial to me. “Hmmm… I see. And don’t call me Annie!” 

Thalia threw her head back and laughed. “Whatever you say… Annie.”

I shot her a glare, but had a hard time suppressing a smile. “I’m so glad to be here. The bills are piling up, but I need a break.”

“Of course you do, Annabeth. You are the most hardworking person I know. Even if you retired now, that still wouldn’t be enough time to compensate for the work you’ve done.”

I put my beer bottle down and rolled my eyes. “Retire? You make me sound like a middle-aged, middle-class woman with a divorced husband and an obsession with turtles.”

Thalia snorted and slapped her thigh. “Turtles?! That’s the best you could come up with!” 

“Hey! It’s not like you could do any better!” I crossed my arms. 

“True, true. Anyways, wanna play truth or dare?” she leaned in towards me. 

“Sure, but it’s late, we won’t be able to do that many good ones since everyone’s sleeping and everything is closed,” I huffed.

“I know, but we can always plan ahead and make dares we have to do tomorrow,” she wiggled her eyebrows. 

“Alright.” 

“You start,” she insisted. 

I looked around the room, desperately wracking my brain for a good dare. I saw an apron hanging off a chair. “Uhh, walk into a fast food place and pretend that you work there and see if people notice.”

She shrugged. “Easy. I’m going to give you a good one.”

I should’ve known this was not going to be good.

“First off, truth or dare?”

“Why do you even ask that question? You know it’s always dare,” I rolled my eyes. 

“Fine, fine. Jeez. You ready for it?”

“Hell yeah,” I scoffed. She leaned in closer. “You’ve been planning this for a while, haven’t you?” I speculated. 

She ignored me. “So, tomorrow is the annual servant-hiring day at the palace. Anyone can go and apply to be a servant for the royals,” she explained. 

I should’ve stopped her there, but I didn’t. In fact, I was more enthralled than before. 

“I dare you to try out to be a servant for the Royals. And if you get the job, which I expect you do, you have to be a servant for a week before quitting,” she smirked. 

My mouth fell open. I was trying to decide whether this was something I wanted to do or not, not that I had a choice.

“What? Too hard for you, Annie?” I quickly closed my mouth. 

“No, never,” I countered. Then I realized, “You’ve been waiting all year to use this one, haven’t you?” 

She waved off the comment. “It shouldn’t be too hard. A work week for servants is only five days for eight hours per day. You’ll be fine. That is, if you’re convincing enough to be chosen.” The classic definition of a female palace servant was basically a girly-girl who had a crush on any one of Poseidon’s three sons: Triton, Percy, and Tyson. Essentially, the polar opposite of me. I don’t think it could get more different. 

I scoffed. “I know you know how much I loathe the royals, but I’ll have you know, my acting skills are superb.”

“Whatever you say,” Thalia said, sing-songy. 

We both sat back in comfortable silence. I could tell Thalia was planning out the dare I gave her, and likewise, I was doing the same. Could I really pull it off? Would I finally get revenge on the Royals? Would they even know who I am? _Yes, yes I can_ , I hype myself up. They won’t remember me because I was so young back then. Plus, I have a different last name than my mom, so it’ll be harder to track me down. 

Breaking the silence, I said, “You know? I'm actually kind of excited for it.”

Thalia’s eyes lit up. “Me too! I was planning all these pranks you could play on them.”

“Yeah! Mess around with them after what they did to us.”

She smirked. “Exactly.”

“We should probably get some shut eye now,” I said, realizing it was 2am. 

“Oof, you’re right, tomorrow’s gonna be a loooong day for you. ‘Night, Annie.”

“Night, Thalia.”

I went to sleep feeling thrilled for the dare, but little did I know… 

I made a _huge_ mistake. I should’ve said no to the dare. 

Things would be so much easier if I had just said no, a simple _no._

Then I wouldn’t be caught up in all the drama… I wouldn’t have met _him._

  
  
  



End file.
